


Benji

by LittleSweetCheeks



Category: Madam Secretary
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Family, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:20:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26532751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSweetCheeks/pseuds/LittleSweetCheeks
Summary: Accidental Baby Acquisition- What happens on election night sometimes doesn't stay on election night.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 23





	Benji

Fall was in the air; kids were already headed back to school and the weather was cooling nicely. Blake rushed through his normal routine with a spring in his step. Everything at work had been running like a well-oiled machine, Russell had stayed off the seventh floor and there’d been no major crises at home, abroad, or within the McCord family to cause late nights or early mornings. It was shaping up to be a week for the record books due to its entire lack of anything interesting at all happening.

Tucking the box of pastries and tray of coffees close to his body, Blake made his way up the block, not breaking stride when his phone rang. Nothing could possibly ruin his good mood. “Hello.”

“I’m calling for Blake Moran.”

“This is he.” He looked both ways before cutting across the street mid-block. “How may I help you?”

“My name is Patricia Osgood, I’m a social worker at GWU Hospital and you were listed as the person to contact about a patient here.”

“I’m not sure I understand. I don’t really know of anyone I would be a contact for.” Well, the McCords, but he knew they were all safely at home together, so that was unlikely.

“We had a Constance Jennings admitted earlier this week.”

“I don’t recognize that name.” An apology for whatever this mix-up was already on his lips.

“She gave birth and listed you as the father and gave us your number. She’s signed away her rights as the mother and the baby is needing to be discharged today.” Patricia seemed unaware that he’d froze as she’d spoken.

“I- I don’t understand.” He turned on his heel, staring at all the strangers around him, confused about what to do. “I can’t be the father; I don’t even know who that is. I haven’t been with anyone in…” He tried to think back.

“Based on his size I’d say she was being honest that he was full term, so it would put conception about mid-November.”

Blake sank down on the steps he was passing. “Oh.” Election night. “Don’t you need some proof she was telling the truth?”

“We’ll run a DNA test, that’ll take about twenty-four hours to come back. We can postpone discharge for that, but we need you to come in right away.”

“I- I-” He tried to make his brain kick back into gear. After a minute, he realized, this was a crisis, he could manage one of those. Focus, he told himself, start at the beginning. “Can you give me your details and where specifically I need to go to meet you?” He dug in his bag and began to scribble down the information. “Thank you, I’ll be right there.” Once the call ended, Blake stared at the page and then at the coffees and breakfast and wondered how the hell he was going to even start to manage this.

=MS=

He’d called Nadine and simply said a family emergency had come up, evading any further questions with a response that he would explain later. Rushing through the hospital, he found the right wing and met Patricia, who led him to the area to do the DNA test. “Can I, can I see him? Does it matter that we’re waiting on the test?”

She studied him a moment, catching sight of the ID badge tucked under his jacket. “You’re government?”

“Uh, yeah. State Department.”

She pressed her lips together a moment before leading him through the halls to a small room off the nursery. He waited until she returned pushing a bassinet, handing him the infant inside. “According to Ms. Jennings, this is your son.”

“Does he, did she name him?” He inquired.

“No. Right now he’s listed as Baby Boy Moran. She said that was his last name. She sounded pretty confident?” She questioned him.

“It’s possible. I was with a woman in November for a night.” He blushed at the confession. “It was election night, lots of alcohol, lots of celebration and… I never got her name. I don’t usually… I’ve never done that before and the one time…”

“I don’t think I have to point out it only takes once to get one of these?” There was a hint of humor in her voice. “The baby still has an alarm on, so you can’t leave this room, but you can have a seat in a rocker if you wish. And… if the tests come back confirmed, he’ll need a name.”

“And if they come back no?” The thought crossed his mind.

“Then the mother has severed rights and no father means he’ll go into foster care until he’s adopted. Infants don’t usually take long.”

“Oh.” He settled into a rocker. “Thank you.” He simply stared at the baby for a long time, rocking gently. If this was real, he didn’t exactly work a job that was conducive to single parenthood. Or parenthood at all. Jay struggled and he had a wife, he knew Elizabeth struggled and her kids were all older _and_ she had Henry. And him from time to time. He was the guy who was on hand around the clock, available at a moment’s notice. Babies needed schedules and predictability and parents that knew what they were doing.

Pulling out his phone, he saw that Nadine was active on the messaging app, so he typed out a message asking her to come to the hospital, he needed something from her and it wouldn’t take long, but it was urgent. There was a pause before she confirmed she was on her way. He told her to call when she got to the lobby.

It took almost an hour for her to turn up, by then Blake had relinquished the baby to the nurses for feeding and changing. When she stepped off the elevator, she looked around. “This is a maternity floor, Blake.”

“Yeah. I, uh, I may have a problem.” He led her down the hall and past the locked doors with the band he’d been given until they stopped in front of a large window. “That one there, on the end.”

He watched nervously as she stared through the glass, reading the card more than once before her head snapped around, shock coloring her face.

“I found out this morning. A DNA test is being processed and that will be back tomorrow.” He sighed. “The mother already signed away her rights. According to the social worker she was pretty adamant he’s mine.”

“Oh, Blake.” She reached out for him. “You had no clue?”

He shook his head. “And now I might have a son. What the hell am I going to do?”

She led him across the hall and into a seat. “First, don’t get ahead of yourself, until the test results come back, take a breath. Okay?”

“A breath, yeah.” He nodded. “And if the results say it’s true?”

“Then we will all deal with it as a family.” She looked at him closely. “Blake, you’re not alone. Half the team has kids already, five of them between us, and we’re all aware of what this road looks like. And Matt’s not too bad with kids either, I’ve seen him with Jay’s daughter. You’ll get time off to adjust and we have the daycare downstairs.” She squeezed his shoulder. “And do you really see the Secretary not helping out?”

He sagged further. “I need to tell her.”

“Yes. She’d want to know that you were going through this, even if it turns out to not be true.”

“Not looking forward to that. Gee I had a one-night stand with a stranger and now I’m ruining everything because I have a baby to raise.” He looked at her in anguish. “No more travel? No late nights? What good will I be? Is it selfish to say I don’t want to give up my job?”

“No, it’s not. And babies aren’t cheap, you’re going to need that job, for the money and the sanity. And, like I said, we’re your family.” She shifted a bit closer and pulled him into a hug. “You are not alone.”

=MS=

Nadine had left shortly after their talk, heading back to the office to make excuses for Blake’s absence. Blake had sat with the baby again before heading home under the guise of getting some sleep. Instead, he stared at his tiny apartment till late into the night wondering how he was going to make a baby fit into his life. His place was well within his budget, it allowed him to have the expendable cash to live the lifestyle he preferred, but it was also a tiny studio and he wasn’t sure a crib would even fit.

He’d sworn to Nadine that he would text as soon as he heard from the doctor the following morning. He’d found his best suit and shoes, styled his hair carefully, and had tried to keep himself distracted until the phone rang. It was the moment of truth. “Hello?”

“Mister Moran? This is Doctor Patel.”

“Ye- Yes? With the paternity results?”

“Correct, sir. It appears congratulations are in order Mister Moran; you have a son.”

The line disconnected and he sank into a chair. He had a son. He had to go pick up his son from the hospital. His son that he didn’t have the first item for, not a car seat or a crib or anything else. He could hear himself gasping for air as he dialed another number and waited.

“Blake?” Nadine asked as the line connected.

“He’s mine.” He gasped out, panic settling in fully. “He’s mine and I have to go get him and I don’t even have a name for him! What do I do?” The words rushed out, fumbling over one another.

“Calm down. I swear it’s going to be okay. Take a deep breath and get to the hospital, I’ll meet you there. Don’t worry about anything.”

“Yeah, okay.” He was still on the verge of panic. “Get to the hospital.”

“You’ll need a car seat.”

“I- I don’t know what to buy? One of those bucket things?” He tried to remember what Jay used for Chloe.

“Don’t worry about it yet. Just go. I’ll be there shortly.”

He played her instructions on loop in his mind as he found his way to the hospital and up to the correct floor. This time he wasn’t quite as shy about asking to see his son. _His son!_ Taking the baby and sitting in the rocker again while the nurse went to get paperwork. A loud gasp finally made his head snap up and there stood Elizabeth, hands over her mouth, Nadine just behind her.

“I told her on the way over, I hope that’s okay.” Nadine explained as they entered.

“I think so. I wasn’t sure how to explain this.” He stared from the baby up to the two women. “How do I decide on a name?”

Elizabeth leaned in, rubbing a knuckle gently against the infant’s cheek. “Sometimes it’s the hardest part. You could pick a family name.”

“The only family he’ll know is all of you.” He admitted with a hint of sadness. They really were the people closest and most important to him.

“Okay.” Elizabeth thought a minute. “What about sticking with simple then? Adam or Michael or something.”

“Not Michael.” When Nadine spoke, they both looked at her and she blushed. “Sorry, Mike B ruined that name for me. Of course, a new baby would fix that.”

“I know one.” A name came to him. “Benjamin.”

Elizabeth smiled. “That’s a good name.”

He looked down at his son. “Benjamin Adam Moran.” He glanced back up at her. “Would that be okay? Then he kind of has a family name?” He admitted with a bit of trepidation. “I know that’s your middle name sort of.”

“It’s lovely.” Just then the nurse came in with the paperwork and Blake handed Benjamin off to Elizabeth so he could sign.

“I don’t have a car seat.” He admitted.

“Oh, I took care of that.” Nadine joined the conversation again. “A seat is in the SUV along with the stroller it attaches too. That’ll get us out the door and to a store. You’re officially on family leave for the next six weeks and I’ve cleared both our schedules for a family emergency, so you have us both at your disposal today.”

=MS=

Blake was utterly overwhelmed. The women had been completely in their element shopping for baby things and cuddling the newborn. He’d been thankful for Elizabeth’s detail who’d helped haul bags and boxes to and from the cars, Carl had even helped with assembling the bassinet, offering his services because he had four kids of his own. He’d never considered who else had kids, most of her detail did apparently and they seemed to know a lot, from how to install the car seat to how to breakdown a stroller. That everyone was simply making way for Benjamin was overwhelming him to the point of tears.

“Now, every two hours, Blake. Trust me, if he gets too hungry, he won’t eat.” Elizabeth was rocking and feeding the baby like a pro. “Nadine and I will deal with Diplo Tots, but we’ll also need to vet some nannies and find someone you can live with. When you’re ready I’ll ask around for what company to get referrals from. Getting the passport sorted out, well, that’s something I can control.”

“Passport?” He was confused.

“He’ll need one to travel. I’ll deal with making sure a nanny, when you chose one, is cleared to travel as well. He’ll be far too little for a while yet to be left behind for more than a day or two at a time.”

“I- I don’t know what to say.” He was so confused. The baby would be traveling with him? She really saw his still doing his job fully?

“Right now, say you’ll check in every day. Okay? You need to share this with everyone else and Henry and the kids will want to know, that should all be done sooner rather than later. Six weeks is a long time, check in, stop by my house, I need to know you’re surviving this.”

He nodded; it was good to hear they weren’t going to abandon him to the baby. “I can do that.”

Nadine took the infant when Elizabeth was doing feeding him, expertly tossing a receiving blanket over her shoulder before positioning him to pat his back. “I put everything beside the changing table and put together the diaper pail. I also started all the new clothes in the washer, so don’t forget to move them when it’s done.” She passed Benjamin back to Blake. “If you need anything, you call me.” She ordered.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“And there’s no such thing as too many pictures.” Elizabeth added with a smile before she leaned in and pressed a kiss to Benjamin’s head. “I’ll check in in the morning.”

Once he was alone in the apartment, Blake looked around at how differently it looked from that morning. He’d left an apartment of a single working professional and now he was in the apartment of a new single parent. Baby gear and supplies littered every available surface; there were blankets stacked on his bed, a box of diapers next to the bathroom door, and bottles lined up by the sink. He didn’t even have a dresser for baby clothes, they would have to be fitted in somewhere.

Cradling his son a minute longer, he made his way to the bassinet beside the bed. Nadine had been right, it fit his tiny living space much better than a full size crib, but he knew the baby would only fit in it for so long. Laying his son down to sleep, Blake sank onto the bed doing his best to shove all the worries of tomorrow out of his mind.

=MS=

Blake had barely heard someone knocking on his door over the crying. He was utterly exhausted and not entirely certain what day it was. Pulling the door open, he found Henry standing in the hall. “Um, hi? Did I know you were coming?” He let the older man in.

Henry shook his head as he stepped in, heading straight for the crying baby. “No.” He lifted Benjamin and began to rock him. “But I thought you could use the visit. A week and a half is about when the sleep deprivation and round the clock schedule starts to really get to you.” The baby was already starting to quiet down. “I overheard your call with Elizabeth this morning and then canceled my schedule for a few hours. Go shower and I’ll look after him and make a meal for you.”

A shower did sound good. He’d been taking rushed ones, too afraid to leave the baby unattended. Turning toward the bathroom, he found fresh clothes and shut himself away. As the hot water beat down on his body, he sent up a prayer of thanks that Henry had turned up. He’d been afraid to admit he was getting a bit overwhelmed already, worried it was a sign he wasn’t cut out for this, but just hearing that Henry wasn’t surprised relaxed something in him the tiniest bit.

Fifteen minutes later he was stepping out of the bathroom and into a quiet apartment that smelled of a real meal. He checked on his son before moving to the table and sitting as Henry placed two plates down. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” Henry replied. “When all three kids were born, Elizabeth was with the CIA. Even with maternity leave, there were still plenty of days I was on my own because of her job. When Jason was a baby especially, she was gone sometimes two or three weeks at a time and it was rough, I won’t lie. But I got through it with three kids and I promise you, you’ll get through it too.”

“I feel like I’m floundering and like Benji’s going to end up screwed up because I failed.” After the first bite, he realized just how hungry he really was. “I miss my life.” He reluctantly admitted.

Henry chuckled. “I get that. I can promise you this- if you’re trying your best, you’ll do just find and he’ll turn out just fine. And in a few weeks, you’ll be back to work. It’ll all work out. You just have to let others help you. Now. I don’t have to get going yet, why don’t you go lay down and try to sleep a little?”

“But he’ll need fed soon.”

“I’ve got it, Blake. Go.”

=MS=

Blake adjusted his coat around them both as he hurried from the metro stop to the Truman Building. Jay had shown him how to wear Benji which was infinitely easier than trying to manage a stroller all the time. He had a diaper bag over his shoulder alongside his satchel as he hurried in, finding the entrance to Diplo Tots to drop his son off for his first day. He was excited to get back to work, but anxious to hand Benji over to the staff, though Jay swore they were all wonderful. Finally free of the baby, Blake pressed the right button for the elevator to take him up. Straightening his clothes, he drew a deep breath as he stepped back into the world of the seventh floor.

=MS=

The first day back had gone much better than Blake had expected. Before the morning meeting had started, he’d distracted himself sorting out the coffee and pastries. The discovery of which had brought exclamations of joy from all his coworkers, but Jay had summed it up best when he’d cried out ‘real coffee, thank god you’re back’, making all of them laugh. The meeting itself had started late because Matt, Jay, and Daisy had been gathered around his desk to see the most recent photos and then no sooner had Nadine pulled them all to their places then Elizabeth had swept in, spotted him, and had derailed the meeting a second time to shower him with a welcome back and request for new pictures as well.

It had felt good though, laughing and being back with his friends and hearing that they missed him, and his coffee, as much as he’d missed them. The morning had ticked on. He found himself focused on setting up calls with foreign ministers, it turned out China and India had not been playing well together while he’d ben out, and helping Jay create a binder on the effects of climate change in Africa. All before lunch. When the hour came, he carried Elizabeth’s food in as he’d always done, his own stacked with it. He planned on sitting on her couch and eating so he could catch up on what he’d missed, but she stopped him.

“Go see your baby.”

“What? No, I… he’s fine down there.” He’d been anxious to check on him but didn’t want to be that parent that ran to be with his kid at every free moment.

“It’s your first day apart, Blake. Take the time, run down and peek in to see he’s okay and then come back. Your food will still be here when you get back. I promise.”

“Are- are you sure?”

“Go, Blake.”

“Okay.” He left his things, rushing to the elevator to go and just see that Benji was doing all right. By the time he came back up, the normal lunch hour was over, but he found himself sitting back in her office eating while the others carried on with the next meeting around him.

=MS=

“I know we haven’t had much luck in finding the right fit for a nanny and I know cost has been a factor.” Elizabeth spoke. They were at the McCord house, she was cradling Benji and walking around the small office while Blake sat in the chair in the corner. He’d been back at work a month now. He’d caught that before, all of them did it, but the McCords especially and Nadine to a lesser degree- when there was something being discussed about Benjamin, they said ‘we’ instead of ‘you’, a constant reminder that he was part of their family. “I know you’re trying to afford everything on your salary. But we have the trip to France coming up, it’s only three days and I was talking about it with Henry and we might have a solution.”

“Like what?”

“Stevie offered to care for Benji while we’re away. She’ll be here with Henry and the other two and Henry has access to drop him off during the day at daycare.”

“I rely on all of you so much already.”

“You’ve asked for nothing more than we’ve been willing to give.” She bounced the baby a bit. “And he’ll be safe and loved and you won’t have to worry so much. What do you think?”

“I- I guess it sounds okay.”

The room was quiet a moment, until he looked up at her. “You don’t have to go, Blake. Say no and we all make the trip without you and the world keeps turning. You’re a father and that comes first, especially when it comes to a trip like this.”

“And you really wouldn’t mind if I missed it?”

“No.” She brought her gaze back to the baby. “Family always comes first Blake. We’ll all have to learn to balance stepping up when you must step away. There are going to be days you must leave while the rest of us keep working, days you must miss a trip or stay behind for something you might’ve gone on before. This little guy is the most important thing.”

“I appreciate that, but how can I do my job if I’m constantly taking time off?”

“We’ll figure it out one day at a time.” She passed Blake his son. “I promise, it’ll all work out.”

=MS=

Blake loaded his bag with files as he listened to Benji crawling around the apartment. His son was almost a year old and was into everything. The first time the boy had crawled off and Blake had turned around to find him not where he’d left him had sent him into a panic, but now he was used to listening to the slaps of his tiny hands on the floors.

It was one of his late mornings. Two days a week he got picked up with the motorcade and rode in two hours later than he did on the other mornings, it seemed to be a workable balance and Benji liked the attention of the agents and Secretary. A tug on his pantleg had him looking down to see his son’s toothy grin. “Hey Benji. Ready to go? Our ride’s almost here.”

“Da!” Benji clapped, landing on his backside.

“Yes, it’s very exciting.” He looked through his bag to be sure he’d gotten everything and then through the diaper bag to double check. “Let’s get your jacket on, huh?” He scooped his son up, tugging the little fleece jacket over his arms. “There we go. Let’s go.” He pulled the bag straps over his shoulder and made sure the door was locked behind him. The SUV was already waiting at the curb. Climbing in, he buckled the straps on the car seat before they pulled away.

Even with the two-hour delay, Blake had created a nice rhythm on working from home during those mornings and then working in the vehicle on the drive. Matt had taken to coming in at the time Blake usually did to be his hands if he needed something done around the office. He was still amazed after nearly a year that everyone had been so willing to pitch in.

When Elizabeth got in a short time later, Blake couldn’t help but smile as she greeted the baby first, as usual, before addressing him. “We need to talk about plans for his birthday party soon.”

“He’ll be one, he’ll hardly know it’s his birthday.”

“It’s not about him! You’ve survived a year of being a parent, that’s cause for celebration. And this little guy is getting so big, look at him.” She tickled Benji. “He’ll be walking soon, you know. Have you seen how he’s been pulling up?”

“Yes, I had to lock the oven door because he pulled up on it and nearly pulled it open on himself.” It’d been heart stopping at the time. “I’m beginning to realize I’m going to need a bigger place soon.” He admitted. “A studio isn’t going to be big enough for much longer. He’ll need space to run and his own room.”

“You still have time. Do you have a budget?”

“Where I am now is my budget. That’s the problem.” He sighed. “I realize I’m going to have to make some serious lifestyle changes to do what’s best for him.”

“Well, we’ll figure it out. Maybe you could come by this weekend and we’ll sit and look over your finances? Sometimes it helps to have an extra set of eyes.”

=MS=

“And from there we’ll head over to the White House for the photo op and handshakes.” Nadine was finishing going over what was happening later that day to the rest of the staff. The Secretary was already out of the building, so it was only the senior staffers sitting in the room. Another assistant came in with a slip of paper and handed it to Blake, the others all turned to look at him.

“Oh.” He was on his feet. “Uh, I have to go. It’s- It’s about Benji.” He started to rush from the room.

“Blake.” Nadine called out, stopping him. “Keep me in the loop.” She instructed when he looked back.

Blake accepted his son as the caregiver explained. “He feels a little warm and fussy is all. It could be just a cold, but we don’t take any risks, Mister Moran. Just take him past the pediatrician and have him looked over, once he’s symptom free, he can come back.”

He was desperately checking Benji over. In his eighteen months so far, he’d never shown any signs of illness, so Blake had no idea what he was doing. “Um, yeah. Pediatrician, right.” He collected Benji and his things and headed for the elevator, he still needed to gather his own bags and let Nadine know something had come up. Once he got back to seven, he headed to her office first.

“Well, that’s not a good sign.” She stated as soon as she saw the toddler. “What’s wrong?”

“They think he’s sick. He’s never been sick. I’m not even sure, do I wait? Do I take him in right away? How does this work?”

She was already rounding her desk with her hands out. “Give him here, Blake.” Benji simply curled op on her shoulder when she took him, which was sign enough something was off, the boy was a bigger ball of energy than his father. “He does feel a little warm, but not too bad.”

“You can tell that?”

“Sit, Blake.” She sat on the couch too. “It could be a lot of very boring things like teething or a cold or even an ear infection. Kids get sick, it happens.”

“But we’re about to leave for the White House. I’m supposed to be handling certain things, I have to be there for this one.”

She sighed. “Then we’ll manage. Now, go find the first aid kit in the Secretary’s closet, I believe there’s a thermometer in there that’ll work. It’s about time we set you up with your own parent first aid kit at your desk with a few things you’ll need on hand.”

Blake left and located the thermometer, bringing it back. “Here.” He watched as she held Benji still to check his temperature. “And?”

“Very low grade, not even worth medicine. Fevers serve a purpose, so it’s best to let them be.” She rearranged Benji into a more comfortable position. “Now, why don’t you take a minute and go finish up whatever you need to before we have to get to the White House. He’ll be fine in here, I promise.” She looked up when he didn’t make a move. “Go, Blake.”

He rushed back to his desk, looking over the last-minute information for the day. His mind barely left his son as he tried to focus on putting the final touches on what he had to do. Once he had everything though he rushed back to Nadine’s office, she was still on the couch but now Benji was asleep against her chest as she read over a file in her hands.

“See, he was fine.” She pointed out when she saw him. “A cuddle and off to sleep he went. Do you have a stroller here? It might be easier if he’s in one.”

“Um, yeah.” It was another thing that had ended up stored in Elizabeth’s closet. Too often he came or went by means other than his own vehicle and sometimes Benji needed to be taken out unexpectedly. Often, Elizabeth collected him for walks when she met Mike B or Henry or someone else in the park. Blake had tried to object at first, but a part of him was glad his son didn’t have to spend his life stuck in daycare. He fetched the stroller, opening it so he could add his things plus Benji’s, plus Nadine’s into the seat, pushing it himself when she didn’t hand over the toddler.

“Just drape my coat over me.” She told him. “It’s been a lot of years since I’ve done this, but it’s like riding a bike really.” They were joined at the elevator by the other three, Jay was instantly worried at the sight of Benji and asked if he was okay. “Probably teething or something.” Nadine answered before Blake could. “Not a big deal, but he’s going to hang out with us today. Daisy will be dealing with the press, so Matt and Jay, we’ll need you to be sitters while Blake’s busy.” She kept hold of Benji until they got to the motorcade downstairs, passing him back to Blake to buckle in as she sorted out the bags.

At the White House, Blake climbed out of the SUV to be greeted by a surprised Elizabeth. “What’s going on, Blake?” She instantly reached out for the toddler. “Is he okay?”

“I had to pick him up, Ma’am, they said they thought he was sick. But I need to be here and can’t just hand off my part to someone else this time.” He swallowed, anxious.

“Okay. It’s not a big deal. It’s mostly just photos and a few handshakes, the tour part you agreed to help with, we can do this.” She nodded. “I’ve told you before, we’ll make it work. As soon as you’re done, you can head straight to the doctor with him.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

It was hard relinquishing a fussy Benji to Jay and the others, but Blake tried to block out the sounds of his son as he tried to focus on greeting and assisting the teens he’d signed up to usher around. He was eager to get back to the boy and comfort him himself.

Left in the main ballroom, Nadine turned when someone approached Elizabeth. The woman greeted her, her eyes across the room. “Interesting to have a baby attending a conference such as this.”

Elizabeth gave her diplomatic smile. “Well, we’re all about providing support for equal opportunity, aren’t we? My assistant is a single father and today he needed a little assistance provided. So, it seemed entirely appropriate. He balances a very demanding career with the equally demanding role of being a parent, if anything, the experience helps him more readily sympathize with what we’re doing here. Woman every day have to figure out how to balance a career and raising a family and they all need advocates, who better than someone who can relate?”

Nadine smirked. The justification rolled so naturally it almost sounded rehearsed. She kept her place with Elizabeth as she circulated the room, making her way slowly to the stage for the major photo ops. Benji was growing fussier and she frowned, he was normally a happy baby. Just as they stepped on the stage, she caught sight of Blake turning up and taking his son from Jay, who’d been doing his best. She watched Blake try to calm him until Elizabeth turned to her.

“I think he needs to go ahead and go take him in.” Elizabeth suggested. Both women turned back to where Blake was becoming obviously distressed as his son’s unusual distress. The toddler was shaking his head and then tugged his ear before going still for a moment in Blake’s arms. They watched as a split second of relief started to wash over Blake before Benji threw up on his chest. “Go help him.” Elizabeth was pushing Nadine toward the steps.

Blake was frozen. He was horrified, mortified, and a host of other -ified’s at what had just happened. He had no experience to base what he should do next on. Almost instantly, Matt and Jay were ushering him out and then Nadine was taking Benji with the instruction for the pair to take him to get cleaned up. He let himself be ushered into a bathroom and peeled off his jacked, tie and shirt. Matt took the jacket, the least impacted, and tried his best to save it while Jay simply ran the tie under running water. “I don’t know what to do.” He admitted out loud.

“You’ll be fine, he’ll be fine.” Jay offered. “Kids get sick.” There was a knock on the door. “Yeah!”

Nadine appeared in the doorway. “All clear?”

Jay looked around; the stalls were all empty. “Yep.”

She came in with the stroller and baby and locked the door behind her. “I almost guarantee you he has an ear infection. Take him in, you’ll get antibiotics and he’ll be good as new.” Another knock cut her off and she turned to see who it was. “Yes?”

“I’m Doctor Renault, the White House doctor. I was told you might need some assistance?” She let him in, and he assessed the people in the room, pegging instantly which one was the parent. “Russell Jackson sent me.” He turned to the baby in Nadine’s arms. “May I?” He looked Benji over and then settled him in the stroller so he could listen to his chest and look at his ears. “Ear infection, simple as that.”

When the doctor was gone, Blake turned to Nadine. “How’d you know?”

She shrugged, trying to brush it off as nothing. “Experience really. Give it time. But now you have a prescription to get filled, go ahead and get going, we’ll deal with everything else.”


End file.
